added value

I am always organizing things so that they fit better or that they are more out-of-the-way. I’m a big fan of “Oh look at that container, I could organize so much in there!”

It’s time to stop “organizing” and let go of those items that really aren’t bringing value to my life.

I’ve been listening to The Minimalists podcast, it’s in the rotation of all my others, but I’ve really enjoyed how they look at life. It’s not about how little you have – it’s not about saying “I only have 300 items in my house”, it’s more about what you do have and how it impacts you.

I’m learning a lot about how free you become when you remove all of that extra “clutter” in your life – and I know it’s true – I know it is – but I don’t always practice it!

This weekend I did.

It was really hard, but I went through my DVD collection. Now, I don’t go back and watch these DVD’s very often. I have access to Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime and several other free movie sites – there is very seldom a need to pull out a DVD. But, I’ve always enjoyed collecting them. They brought me comfort, in a weird sort of way, so I knew that removing them would be a challenge for me.

And a challenge it was! I can honestly admit that I didn’t get rid of as many as I wanted, but I did manage to let go of about 100 DVD’s. Some went home with my sister or parents and some went to a resell shop.

It felt good! I’m not going to lie, I’m ready to go through the rest and really free up space in my house and in my soul!

I have started a donation box.

That’s not new – I donate stuff all of the time.

What’s new is what I put in the donation box.

It looks like an ordinary cordless house phone with built in answering machine. It functions like one… although, this guys hasn’t been used in over 10 years. It has been sitting in my nightstand drawer for over 10 years.

Now, if you guys have followed me at all, you know I did a big de-clutter challenge a few years ago… so why didn’t this phone go? Why was I holding onto this phone?

It has a voice mail on it. It has a voice mail on it that is pretty darn mean. It has a voice mail on it that I have been saving just in case. And not a “this could happen” just in case scenario, but a really far-fetched, “there is never in a million years that this situation could happen but just in case it does, I will have this recording” scenario.

I’ve been carrying this phone around with me, just for that one voicemail, for a situation that would never happen.

Today I let it go.

I didn’t just physically let go of the phone, but I let go of the mental and emotional weight that I’ve associated with that phone.

I didn’t realize just how much “attachment” I had to holding onto that phone, not just the physical reminder, but all of the mental and emotional attachment that I was associating with it.

It’s gone.

And you know what?

I don’t miss it!

I look forward to making more decisions around the house! Some people ask “Does this bring me joy?”, but I am liking the “Does this add value?” question. That is really resonating me right now!

It resonates with me, because I like things neat. So I’ve kept all of these boxes from when we gave up cable and went to internet TV – just in case I move, I have the original boxes to pack things back in. The reality is, those boxes take up sooooo much space and if I had to pack, I would decide that they take up too much space! (And maybe I need to be an ambassador for Roku!) Of course, I still had to text Adam twice and make him tell me that I would be okay if I put those in the recycle bin!

In my mind, it was worth keeping those boxes in case I moved – but with my new mind set, I was able to say that they don’t bring me any value and let them go.

So what about you? I know some of you have gone through this recently – any tips or tricks? And how to you manage the clutter at your place? I love knowing what others are doing!